Review: Death Wish (1974) Is As Fun A Time As Any
- Mar 5, 2018
- 1 min read
Bruce Willis's John McClane is the character most often pointed out as the everyman hero. But over a decade before McClane broke onto the screen, there was another.
Architect Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) lives a relatively ordinary life in New York. That is until a violent gang, including a very young Jeff Goldblum, viciously attacks his wife and daughter, leaving the former dead and the latter not much better off. As the law continues to fail him, Kersey takes judgement into his own hand, hunting down the men responsible, and woe betide anyone who gets in his way.
Death Wish is a pretty standard revenge film. The protagonist has decent motivations, the villains are unlikable enough that their demise is enjoyable, and Bronson is a perfectly suitable vigilante, albeit one who isn't totally onboard with what he's doing. Kersey spends much of the film second guessing himself, trying to justify his actions and come to terms with the acts he has committed. This is far and away the best part of what is otherwise a relatively average film.
Our hero isn't a trained man, nor is he a hardened criminal. Kersey is just a man on a mission, willing to do what it takes to get the job done. And while this characteristic has diminishing returns as the film goes on, it's enjoyable while it lasts.
Death Wish is no masterpiece of cinema, but as 70's revenge thrillers go, it's more than enjoyable. Watching Bronson blow his way through New York's delinquents is a fine way to pass the time.
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